


The Lost Month

by CheshireChett



Category: Zootopia (2016)
Genre: Blood and Torture, Crime Fighting, Crimes & Criminals, Kidnapping, Torture
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-29
Updated: 2018-10-27
Packaged: 2019-05-15 07:18:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 9
Words: 11,967
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14785947
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CheshireChett/pseuds/CheshireChett
Summary: Judy Hopps goes missing for nearly a month, and only Nick can find her. When she is found, she has no memory of the last month. To catch the perpetrator(s), Judy must first regain her memories, no matter how terrible they may be.





	1. Prologue

Prologue

_Judy Hopps sat in her apartment, scrolling through her social media. Nothing extremely interesting was going on. A few stories here and there that covered some cases that either her colleagues or she and Nick solved. She sighed out of boredom. Her phone started buzzing, and a picture of her parents showed up on the screen. Judy smiled and hit accept._

_"Hey, Mom. Hey Dad," she greeted._

_"Judy! Hi! How are you?" her mother replied, a big smile on her face._

_"How's the crime-solving?" her father added._

_"It's going great," she smiled. "Nick and I have been pretty busy lately."_

_"We've noticed!" Mrs Hopps said. "Your father and I are always looking for the cases you two solve."_

_"So that we can brag about our daughter's success!" Mr Hopps added. Judy laughed._

_"Aww, thanks, guys." She smiled. "How's the farm going?"_

_"It's going great as usual," her mom responded. "Gideon's pastries are as good as ever!"_

_"That's great!"_

_A flicker on the wall caught her eye. She looked up and saw a shadow, but she paid no mind to it. Judy looked at it again and realised that the shadow was not her's._

_"Mom, Dad," she said in a stern tone._

_"What's the matter, Jude?" Mrs Hopps asked, worried._

_"Nothing's wrong," she quickly said. "I'll call you back."_

_Before they could say anything, Judy hung up and sat quietly at the desk, staring at the shadow. Her gaze flicked between the shadow and her phone, deciding what to do. Pull up the camera in zelfie mode to see who is behind her or call the police. Before she decided anything, there was a slight whoosh sound, and almost immediately after, she felt a tiny stab in the back her neck. Judy let out a little cry, her paw shooting up to where she felt it. She grabbed hold of it, yanked it out and brought the object into her view._

_It was a tranquilliser dart. Trying to stay calm, she reached for her phone, but she couldn't focus. Her eyelids started getting heavy. She started sliding off the desk and fell on to the floor._

Stay awake, _Judy told herself, stay awake. But the drug was stronger, and she was soon slipping into black._


	2. Chapter 1

1

 

 

"Adam."

 

"Here."

 

"Delgato."

 

"Here."

 

Nick Wilde sat in his seat in the front, anxiously glancing at the door. Where is she? He tapped on the desk as Chief Bogo gave roll call. 

 

"Francine."

 

"Here!"

 

He's getting close to Carrot's name. Nick once again glanced toward the door. _Where is she?_

 

"Higgins."

 

"Here."

 

"Hopps."

 

"She's not here, sir."

 

"What?" Chief Bogo looked up from the names. "What do you mean she's not here?"

 

"I mean she is not present. She is not physically here." Nick stopped there, not wanting to irritate the Chief. Bogo frowned. 

 

"That's not like her," he mused. "She didn't call in sick. Nor is it her day off." 

 

"Perhaps I should try calling her," Nick suggested, "see what's going on."

 

"Alright. Step outside when you do so." Nick nodded and dropped out of his chair. He headed toward the door, pulling out his phone and locating Judy's number. He leaned against a wall and listened as the dial sounded. It went straight to her voicemail after a few moments. Nick pulled the phone away from his ear, frowning at it in confusion. He tried calling her again three more times, but it still went straight to voicemail. Dammit, Judy. What's going on?

 

Bogo came out of the room with a file tucked under his arm. 

 

"Well?" he demanded. Nick sighed in frustration. 

 

"She's not answering her phone," Nick responded. He pocketed his phone and started walking. "I'm going over to her place."

 

"I'll come with you," Bogo stated. Nick nodded, and they both walked out of the station. They got in a police car and drove toward Judy's apartment building. When they arrived, the landarmadillo escorted them to Judy's room. She knocked a couple of times.

 

"Judy?" she called. "There are a couple of police officers here to see you. Judy?" She frowned. "I didn't see her leave." She pulled out a key and opened the door. Nick and Bogo looked inside. The small room was empty. Nick slipped in and looked around. Everything was neat and orderly. Typical of the bunny. He looked at the writing desk to his right. Judy's phone was sitting there, along with a note. He read it:

 

_If you want to see her again,_

_come and find her._

 

Nick's eyes widened. No. It can't be. Bogo squeezed in. 

 

"What's the matter, Wilde?" he asked. Nick pointed at the note, lost for words. Bogo was silent for a moment, then said, "Wilde, call in to dispatch. This is a crime scene."

 

 

 

A few more officers had arrived several minutes later. They were dusting for pawprints, collecting evidence, and questioning the neighbours and the landarmadillo. Being her partner and friend, Nick was also questioned about Judy. The last time he had seen her was yesterday after work. They were hanging out for some time before turning in for the night. There wasn't anything different about her behaviour. She was perfectly normal with her happy and bouncy self. 

 

After all was done and collected, they all went back to the station to run tests and decide what to do next. Bogo stood at his podium, sifting through papers with a frown on his face. Nick sat down at his spot, suddenly feeling half-empty and fearful. 

 

"Alright, everyone, quiet down," Bogo bellowed, causing the noisy room to become quiet. "One of our own, Officer Judy Hopps, has been kidnapped. So far, we have little evidence and no leads to who has taken her and where. If anyone finds out about anything that could lead us to her and the perpetrator, immediately report it to me. Now, the search teams." He picked up several folders and started naming off officers and locations in which they will be searching, handing them a folder as they leave. 

 

Nick found himself to be the last one left. And there was only one folder left. 

 

"Wilde." Nick got out of his seat. 

 

"Yes, sir?" He gulped. 

 

"You'll be flying solo for this search." Bogo walked over and handed him the folder. "Find what you can." He stared at Nick earnestly. Nick took the folder from the Chief and nodded. 

 

"I'll do my best, Chief." He turned and walked out of the room. He arrived at his desk, sat down, and observed the documented evidence in the folder. The only evidence, such as fur and pawprints, that was found was from Judy. He studied the pictures. The fur was found both on the edge of the chair and on the floor next to the chair. The fur found on the chair was caught in a loose piece of wood. Pawprints that had been found on the desk showed to be smudged. Nick studied the marks. It looked like she was trying to stay upright but was dragged down by something. However, there was no sign of a struggle. Which could mean she was probably sedated before being taken. 

 

Her phone was on the desk, but the only pawprints that were found on it were her's. She was probably looking at her social media or talking to her parents on the night it happened. Nick blinked. 

 

Her parents. Of course! They tend to check on her every so often to see how she's doing! He got up and started running out, all excited and determined. He ran right past Bogo, who had gotten something to eat.

 

"Wilde! Where are you going in such a big hurry?!" he exclaimed. 

 

"To see Judy's parents! They might have been the last bunnies to have seen her!" Nick shouted back. He ran out of the station and into a police car. He sped off to Bunny Burrow with the sirens on. It took some time, but he had finally arrived at the Hopps' farm. Both of the parents were there along with a few other bunnies and a fox unloading pastries from a van. Nick turned off the car and jumped out. 

 

"Nick!" Bonnie Hopps exclaimed, beaming. "It's good to see you!" She glanced at the car. "Where's Judy?" 

 

 

Uh-oh. He dreaded this. Since no one had called them or paid them a visit to tell them what happened to their daughter, he had to tell them. 

 

"Mr and Mrs Hopps." He gulped and pulled out his notepad and carrot pen. "I wish I was here for good news, but, unfortunately, I'm not." He sighed. "Judy has gone missing."

 

Both parents and the fox gasped. 

 

"What happened? Is she all right?" the fox questioned. 

 

"It was most likely a kidnapping, and we have no leads." Nick turned to the Hopps. Bonnie's paws were over her mouth in shock, and Stu's mouth had dropped open. "Mr and Mrs Hopps, I have a few questions for you, if you don't mind." 

 

"Oh, no, go ahead," Stu said, trying to smile. "Ask away!"

 

Nick flipped open his notepad and clicked his pen. "When was the last time you saw your daughter?" he asked in a professional sounding tone so that they won't know that he was scared, too. 

 

"Last night," Bonnie answered. "Stu and I called her to see how she was doing." Nick quickly wrote down the response. 

 

"When did you call her?" he asked. 

 

"Around 8:25, I believe," Bonnie said. "Right?" She looked at Stu. 

 

"Er, yes. I believe we called her around that time. We only talked for a few minutes."

 

"Did she show any suspicious behaviours?" 

 

"No, not at all," Stu replied. 

 

"Well, she did start acting weird towards the end of the call," Bonnie added. Nick looked up from his writing, eyebrows up. 

 

"Could you describe it?" he pressed. His tail has started twitching a bit. 

 

"Oh, well," Bonnie started, "she was looking at something that caused her smile to turn into a serious look." Nick furiously scribbled down the answer. "She then said that she'll call us back and then hung up." Bonnie started sniffling. "I didn't get to say good-bye." Then she burst into tears. Stu drew her into a hug, trying to comfort her. 

 

When she calmed down a bit, she turned to Nick. She took his paw into her's. 

 

"Please find our Judy," Bonnie begged. "Please find her alive and well and put away whoever took her." She squeezed his paw. "Promise us." Nick look at her paws around his, then at her. A couple heartbeats later, he curtly nodded. 

 

"I promise." She smiled. 

 

"Bless you, Nicky. Bless you."

 

 

Back on the road, Nick thought about what he had learned. There was someone in her apartment. He thought back to the evidence file. He frowned. However, there were no signs of forced entry. No traces of hairs or evidence that weren't Judy's. He sighed. He feared that this would be a long case. 


	3. Chapter 2

2

 

 

 

It has already been almost a month since Judy disappeared. Nick is getting aggravated and sleep deprived due to rigorously looking for her but to only come up empty-handed. Bogo has told him to rest and take a day off, but he refused to do so until Judy has been found, hopefully not dead in a ditch. He shook his head, trying not to think about the worst outcomes of her kidnapping. Yet, they come to him in dreams, which is why he hasn't slept in days. 

 

Nick rubbed his eyes and reached for his cup of coffee, only to find it empty. He got up to fill it up again. He swayed a little as he walked to the break room. Clawhauser was in there, humming and gathering a bunch of junk food into his chubby arms. Clawhauser stopped humming when he spotted Nick. He whimpered. 

 

"Aw, no, Nick." He started. Nick glanced at him, then went back to what he was doing. Clawhauser waddled up to him. "Hey, I think it's admirable of you to put every bit of your time into finding poor Judy." 

 

"Thanks, Clawhauser," Nick muttered. 

 

"But you look like you're beating yourself up for this. It's as if you blame yourself for her kidnapping." 

 

Nick slammed down his mug, scaring the giant cheetah. "Why shouldn't I?!" Nick yelled. "I should have been there, protecting her!! But I was a fool and let her go on her own believing that nothing bad was going to happen!!" He trembled, trying to hold back tears. "And now…" He curled his paws into fists. "Now she's gone, nowhere to be found. For all I know, she could be dead." He swallowed hard, picked up his mug, and left the break room, slipping past the officers and Bogo who have gathered around the entrance. 

 

Clawhauser and everyone else stood there in shock. Nick has never burst out like that. He was always the one making jokes and irritating the Chief. But that was when Judy was around. Now, he has become someone completely different. 

 

Bogo went after him. "Wilde," he called. Nick stopped and looked over at the chief with his baggy eyes. "I want you to go home early today and get as much sleep as you can." 

 

"I can't," Nick muttered. 

 

"And why not?" Bogo demanded. Nick turned around to face his chief. 

 

"Because when I do go to sleep, I get nightmares. Nightmares of Judy dead. Nightmares of Judy mangled beyond recognition. I hear her screaming in my dreams, and I always wake up from my own screaming." He paused. "I have to find her. Her parents are counting on me." Nick turned and walked back to his desk. He slumped into his chair and laid his head on the desk. 

 

A ping sounded, signifying a received email. He looked up. The email was unmarked. Frowning, he sat up and clicked on the email. In the email was the lead that he has been looking for. 

 

_In the forgotten parts of Zootopia,_

_there is a copia of abandoned buildings._

_Only one has your precious bunny cop._

_She is waiting for you, fox._

_Come quickly if you wish to see her alive again._

 

Nick sat there and stared at the message. It's not much, but it certainly is a lead. He got up quickly and headed to the chief's office, bursting in without knocking. 

 

"Sir!" he exclaimed. "I believe I have a lead!" He ran out and back to his desk with Bogo not too far behind.Nick showed him the email that was sent to him. 

 

"So, the kidnapper was stupid enough to send an email." He smiled. "All we have to do is trace it to whoever sent it and from where it was sent, and we will most likely find Officer Hopps." Nick nodded, getting all excited. 

 

The email was traced, and a location was found. Nick couldn't believe it. After a month of searching, they have finally found Judy. He insisted on going, claiming that he knows her smell very well. The team of police headed to the abandoned building where the email was traced, and they all cautiously went in with guns in hand. Nick sniffed around for a while, trying to find Judy's scent. 

 

"Anything?" Bogo whispered.

 

"Nothing yet," Nick replied. He sniffed around in the air, on the ground, around the walls.Finally, he caught a very faint trace of a familiar scent. "This way." He started following that around and up some stairs. After almost thirty minutes of searching, every now and then losing the trail, Nick found a closed door that had the strongest Judy smell. "She's in here," he declared. He tried the door; it was locked. Or stuck. He let out a _tsk_ and rammed his shoulder into the door. 

 

He tried again a couple more times, and the door finally opened. The room was dark, so the officers turned on their flashlights. It didn't take long before Judy's body was found. 

 

" **JUDY!!"** Nick cried, running to her and sliding to his knees. "No, no, Judy. Judy!!!" Someone had found a light switch and turned on the lights. Nick gasped at the sight. She was lying in a pool of blood. Gashes, cuts and burns riddled her body. Her eyes were closed, and she wasn't responding. He picked her up and put her in his lap, frantically calling her name and trying to wake her up. A thought occurred to him. 

 

_Was she even alive?_

 

He pressed his ear against her chest. A sigh of relief escaped him. Her heart was beating but barely. Her breathing was ragged, yet she is alive. 

 

"She's alive," Nick muttered. He puffed out a few quick laughs. He turned to the Bogo. "She's alive!" he exclaimed. Bogo's sullen look turned into a smile while the other officers cheered and hugged each other in great relief and happiness. An ambulance was called, and Nick rode in it. He refused to leave her side, but he was kicked out of the room where they were maintaining her and doing their best to heal her. 

 

Nick paced in the waiting room, extremely anxious and scared. What if she didn't make it? What if he was too late to save her? What would he do then? Mr and Mrs Hopps arrived at the hospital and hugged him. He hugged them back, being as scared as they are. When they pulled away, Bonnie wiped tears from her eyes. 

 

"Thank you for finding her," she said. Nick looked down at the floor. 

 

"We're not out of the woods yet, Mrs Hopps," he explained. "And neither is Judy." The bunnies' faces and ears fell.

 

"W-what do you mean?" Stu stammered.

 

"I mean that Judy is in critical condition. We have no idea what the kidnappers did to her." Judy's parents searched his face as if trying to see if this was a sick joke. He sighed. "Let's only hope that the doctors and nurses will be able to heal Judy." The Hopps' ears went back up, and they nodded in agreement. The three of them eventually sat down and engaged in hush conversation. Thirty minutes later, a lioness in a white coat came to the room. She spotted them and walked over. 

 

"Mr and Mrs Hopps?" she guessed. The bunnies stood up. 

 

"Yes?" Bonnie asked. "How is our daughter?" 

 

"She has stabilised," the lioness replied. "As long as she stays that way, she will be fine." The Hopps smiled and hugged each other with glee. Nick also smiled. He looked up at the lioness.

 

"Thank you," he said. She nodded and gave him a little smile. "Can we see her yet?" She shook her head. 

 

"Ms Hopps needs to rest before seeing anybody," she answered. "You may come back tomorrow to see her during visiting hours." Nick shook his head. 

 

"No, I want to see her now," he insisted. "I want to see that she's alright."

 

"Sir, you can see Ms Hopps tomorrow during visiting hours," the doctor said, sternly. Nick wouldn't have it. 

 

"No, no, I need to see her now. I've worked my butt off trying to find her! All I ask is to see if she's alright. To see for myself that she will be okay." He looked pleadingly at the lioness. "Please. Let me see my friend." She drew in a breath, gazing at him as she thought. Then she nodded. 

 

"Alright. You may see her. But!" She held up a finger before he could say anything. "You've got five minutes." 

 

He nodded. "Deal." She, too, nodded and lead him to Judy's room. The doctor opened the door for him.

 

"Five minutes," she reminded him. 

 

"Got it," he said. "Thank you." He went inside, and she closed the door behind him. Nick quietly walked over to Judy's bed and placed his paws on the rails. She was all bandaged up with a nasal tube and an IV needle stuck in her. Seeing her like this only rose an enormous amount of guilt. He looked away. 

 

"I'm so sorry, Carrots," he muttered. "This is all my fault. I should have done better. No, I should have made sure that you were safe. I failed to protect you. If I had found you sooner, you wouldn't be like this. You wouldn't have been near death." He looked back at her. "I will catch whoever did this to you." He placed his paw on top of her's. "I promise." 

 

With that, he turned and headed toward the door, stopping for a brief moment to look back at her before leaving the room. 


	4. Chapter 3

3

 

 

Judy's eyes moved around, her lids still closed. She felt warm, yet she couldn't move. Pain was the next feeling she felt. She groaned from it. A voice. She groaned again, trying to open her eyes. The voice came again, a little clearer than the previous. Her eyes opened a little. Everything was blurred, but she could make out an orange blob. She cleared up her vision in a few blinks. 

 

"Nick?" she croaked. He grinned. 

 

"Hey, Carrots," he beamed. 

 

"Mm, where am I?" she questioned. 

 

"The Zootopia Hospital," he responded. She frowned, which was painful for her. 

 

"Why? What happened to me?" Nick's face fell. 

 

"You were kidnapped," he explained. 

 

"Kidnapped?" She looked down at herself as best she could. The arm she could see was all bandaged up, an IV needle stuck into it. She felt for her other arm. It also felt bandaged. She wiggled her feet and winced. From what she felt, the left foot was in a cast. "What did my kidnappers do to me?" she breathed. 

 

"I was hoping you could tell me," Nick said. Judy frowned. Her head was thickly clouded, making it difficult to summon up any memory. 

 

"I don't remember," she finally concluded. "I don't think I want to."

 

"You have to," Nick quickly said. "You have to remember so that we can catch whoever did this to you and put them away before they hurt anyone else." Judy furrowed her brows and tried to concentrate. "Er, you don't have to do it right now. Try to rest. Do you need anything? Water? Food? Blueberries?" She chuckled. 

 

"Water would be great," she answered. He got up, took a glass of water that was sitting on the bedside, and pushed the straw towards her lips. Judy took long, big gulps of water before signalling him that she had enough water. He set it back down and sat in the chair that was pulled up to the bed. They were silent for many long seconds. 

 

"How long was I gone?" Judy inquired. Nick looked up at her. 

 

"Nearly a month," he replied. 

 

"How did you find me?"

 

"The kidnapper sent me an email, and the email was traced to an abandoned building here in Zootopia. I was able to find you in the building by sniffing for your scent."

He stopped talking and looked down. 

 

"What's wrong, Nick?" she entreated, worry creeping into her mind. 

 

"It's nothing," he quickly stated. She smirked, which was also painful. 

 

"Come on," she pressed. "Obviously it's not nothing. Tell me." He hesitated a bit before looking back up at her, his eyes rimmed with tears. 

 

"Judy…" he paused. "We found you in a pool of your own blood. You weren't moving, you weren't responding. My worst fears had come true. You were tortured until you were nearly dead. Had we come any later, you probably would have died." Judy was silent for a minute. She stared ahead of her, thinking about this. 

 

_I could have died,_ she thought. She allowed that thought to sink in. _I could have died._ She blinked. _But I didn't._

 

"But I didn't die." Nick looked up at her. She smiled a little. "I'm a survivor." The sound of a door opening quietly enacted to her left. Judy looked over and saw her parents peeking in. When they saw she was awake, they came to the bedside.

 

"Judy!" her mother exclaimed, tears in her eyes. Judy smiled at her parents happy and relieved faces.

 

"Hi Mom, Dad," she greeted. 

 

"Oh, Jude, we were so worried!" Stu proclaimed. "How are you feeling?"

 

"Sore."

 

"Would you like anything? I brought some food from the farm in case you wanted any," Bonnie fretted.

 

"No, thanks, Mom, I'm fine," Judy replied.

 

"Oh, well, if you need anything, just let me know, okay?" Judy huffed in amusement. Her parents always fretted. It didn't matter which child of their's it was, they would still fret. Bonnie patted her daughter's paw. "You ought to get some rest, Jude. You look exhausted."

 

"You're not wrong about that," Judy sighed. She laid her head back on the pillow and closed her eyes. It took some time, but she eventually went to sleep. Bonnie and Stu watched as her breath evened out. 

 

"She doesn't remember being kidnapped," Nick whispered. Bonnie and Stu looked over at him. 

 

"What?" Stu said in disbelief. 

 

"Well, it's for the better," Bonnie replied. "The less she knows, the more she can go back to being herself." She placed her paw on top of Judy's. 

 

"Mrs Hopps, you don't understand," Nick protested. "Judy has to remember what happened to her and who kidnapped her so that we can catch the perpetrator and put them away for good." Bonnie stared at him, sorrowful.

 

"You know, Bon, Nicky makes a valid point," Stu agreed. Mrs Hopps sighed. 

 

"I'm only trying to protect our Judy," she whispered. Stu put his paw on her back, as though trying to comfort her. 

 

"Judy is strong-willed and stubborn," Nick said. "She will get through this and will try to remember what happened to her in the past month." He paused. "You guys can help her try to remember. The more she remembers, the better." Bonnie looked up at him and nodded. 

 

"We'll do our best to help her."

 

 

Judy was released from the hospital within two weeks with the majority of her injuries having been healed. She still had that broken leg, though, which frustrated her because she couldn't be out in the field for a few more weeks. She was stuck with crutches and sitting at her desk, going through files. Fortunately, she had Nick to help her out with getting whatever she needed, since her paws were preoccupied for the time being. Out of curiosity, she requested the file that covered her kidnapping. Truthfully, Judy hoped that it would jog some memories.

 

It didn't work like she had hoped. She looked through the file and evidence over and over, trying to remember something, anything, from that lost month. After an hour of looking through it, she gave out a frustrated groan and slammed her head on her desk. Which probably wasn't a good idea. Nick came over to her desk with a couple of mugs in hand. 

 

"Hey, you okay, Carrots?" he asked. Judy sighed. 

 

"Not really," she admitted. "Regaining those memories is proving harder than I thought." He set down a little mug that had a carrot on it next to her. 

 

"Take all the time that you need. Don't rush it," Nick advised. Judy shook her head. 

 

"I have to keep trying to remember." She sat up and opened the file again. "The sooner I start remembering, the sooner we can catch them." Nick sighed. 

 

"Of all the traits you could've had, you got the worst and best kind: stubbornness." Judy smiled at that. 

 

 

Having no luck with the file, Judy decided to just go home and to relax her mind. Maybe that could help. She laid down on her bed with her foot elevated. She closes her eyes and tried relaxing. When she was almost completely relaxed, her phone rang. Judy opened one eye and glared at the phone. With a sigh, she got up and hopped on one leg over to the seat and sat down. The caller ID said that the caller (or callers) is her parents. She hit accept.

 

"Hey Judy!" Stu greeted. 

 

"Hey guys," Judy smiled. "What's up?"

 

"Well, your mother and I thought that the three of us should reenact that night in hopes that your memories come back. Do you remember what we talked about on that night?"

 

She thought for a moment. "Yeah, I do." 

 

"Great! Ok." He cleared his throat. "Bonnie?" 

 

"Oh, right." Bonnie moved into the view of the screen a little more. "Judy! Hi! How are you?"

 

They engaged in the same conversation as the night Judy had disappeared for a few minutes. After they said what could be remembered, Judy sat there, trying to remember what happened next. 

 

"Er, at this point, you looked up at something offscreen," Stu informed. Judy looked at the wall. "Then you looked back at us." She looked back at them. "And then you looked at it again." She looked back at the wall. 

 

"You had this serious and scared look on your face the second time you looked." Judy made that face or at least tried. "And then we asked you if something was wrong, and you said that nothing was wrong. After you said that, you then said that you'll call us back."

 

"Ok," Judy drawled. 

 

"Then you hung up, and that was the last time we saw you," Bonnie added. Judy stared at the wall, her brows furrowed. 

 

"Well?" inquired Stu. "Do you remember anything?" Judy shook her head.

 

"Nothing," she muttered. Her parents' faces fell. "But thanks for trying, guys." 

 

"No problem, Jude," her dad replied. "We ought to let you rest now. We could try again some other time."

 

"Alright. Good night, Mom and Dad."

 

"Good night, sweetie." Judy hung up and hopped back to her bed. She placed her foot on the pillows she used to elevate her foot and stared up at the ceiling. She closed her eyes and eventually went to sleep. 

 

 

 

_Dark shapes._

 

_Sounds of metal scraping metal._

 

_Screams._

 

_Her own screams. But her screams couldn't drown out the laughter that echoed through her mind. She wanted to flee, but something deep down told her that she could never escape this hell._

 

_Something constricted her throat. She tried to breathe, but air would not pass through. It felt like an eternity before her throat was released. Something tiny stabbed the back of her neck. She tried reaching for it but instead started falling. Falling._

 

Judy woke with a gasp, panting heavily. Sweat crawled through her fur, making her shiver. It was just a dream. She sighed. _Just a dream._ She laid there, trying to calm her breathing and herself. Calming her mind would prove a little more difficult. Was that dream of her missing memories? If so, how could she regain the whole set? 


	5. Chapter 4

4

 

 

Judy was exhausted when she came into the station. Sleeping with an elevated leg wasn't the most comfortable thing ever. Due to the leg and the dream she had, Judy had a hard time going back to sleep. She slumped into her seat, waiting for roll call. Nick came in a little later, happy to see her. 

 

"Mornin', Carrots!" he greeted. She grunted. He frowned. "Everything all right there?"

 

"I may or may not have had a nightmare last night," she sighed. "And the nightmare may or may not have been my missing memories." There was a pause. 

 

"Do you remember any of it?" he asked. 

 

"I remember being terrified," she said, "and seeing unidentifiable shapes. I remember screaming and being choked." She shook her head and put it in her paws. "I had a hard time falling back to sleep after that," she mumbled. Nick put his paw on her back. She looked up at him and smiled a little. He smiled back as Chief Bogo came into the room. 

 

 

Once again, Judy was stuck having to do desk work. Fortunately, she had an appointment with the doctor at the hospital within a week. As she sifted through the papers, something in the back of her head was trying to surface. She frowned and tried to help it. Maybe it's a missing memory. Suddenly, an explosion of images occurred in her head. Judy gasped as they flashed behind her eyes. 

 

_A shadow._

 

_The dart._

 

_Falling._

 

_Darkness._

 

Judy panted. She just remembered how she got kidnapped. Judy fumbled for her crutches and went as fast as she could to her chief's office. She knocked and waited for him to open the door. When he did open it, he looked surprised.

 

"Officer Hopps, is everything all-"

 

"Sir!" she interrupted. "I just got a memory back!" He quickly closed the door. 

 

"Should I call Wilde in here?" he asked. 

 

"Yes," Judy answered, "he would want to hear this."

 

 

"A tranquilliser?" Nick repeated. Judy nodded. "And that's all you remember?"

 

"Yes." 

 

"Did you see his face?" Nick asked. 

 

"I did not," Judy answered, shaking her head. 

 

"My question is how did he get into your apartment?" Bogo added. "There was no forced entry. The window wasn't opened."

 

"Also, how did you not notice anything?" Nick asked. 

 

She shrugged. "I don't know. I was tired when I got home, and I didn't notice anything out of place until I saw the shadow."

 

Nick's ears perked up. "The shadow," he said. "Describe the shadow." Judy thought for a bit before answering. 

 

"Well," she started, slowly, "it was big and looked muscular." Pause. "Rounded ears." She knitted her eyebrows together. She sighed. "That's all I can remember." 

 

"That's not a lot of information," Nick stated. "It could be any animal! A bear, a lion, a leopard. It's gonna be hard to find whoever did this."

 

"Yes, it will be," Bogo agreed, "but for now, resume what you both were doing." They nodded and left his office. Once outside of the office, Nick turned to Judy.

 

"I'm glad that you're starting to remember what happened," he said. 

 

"Me, too." She smiled at him. "Once I regain all of my memories, we'll catch whoever was behind this and put them away forever." Nick chuckled. 

 

"Sounds like a plan." 

 

A week went by without any more memory gaining. Judy is finally out of her cast and is relearning how to walk and taking it slow. She doesn't like it, but it is a part of the healing process. Two more weeks before she can go back out into the field. Judy really looked forward to that. However, the lack of any memory gains frustrated her. She really wanted to remember, and there might be one possibility that could help her. She walked over to Nick's desk.

 

"Hey, Carrots," he greeted, looking up from his work. "What can I do for you?"

 

"I want you to take me back to where you found me," Judy said. Shock crosses his face.

 

"W-what?!" he exclaimed. "Why?!"

 

"Because, if I go there and take a look around, I might be able to regain some more memories," she replied earnestly. "Please, Nick. I have to go there." Nick frowned and tapped his leg. 

 

"Alright," he said, standing up. "Let's go."

 

Nick drove them as far as the big police car could go to the abandoned building. When they came to a part where the car couldn't fit, they got out and started walking. The closer they got, the more nervous Judy got. She wanted to remember for the sake of all that's good, but at the same time, she didn't. After having nightmares of possible memories, she feared for the worst. Nick took her by the paw. Surprised, she looked up at him. 

 

"Don't worry, Carrots," he assured, "I'll be right here." She smiled, and they proceeded to go inside the building. 

 

It was dark inside, the only light being from the flickering ceiling lights. They proceeded cautiously into the abandoned building. Nick directed her up a couple of flights of stairs to the third floor. Nick, then, lead her to the room in which she was found in. He held the door open for her as she slowly walked in, looking around. He quietly closed the door behind him and turned on the lights. He went over to a spot in the room.

 

"This was where we found you," he said, gesturing to that specific spot on the floor. Judy went to that spot and sat down. She concentrated hard while looking around at the room, furrowing her brows. She called up the terrifying yet confusing nightmares to try and lure the memories out. Nothing happened.

 

"Anything?" She shook her head. 

 

"Nothing." Nick sighed. 

 

"Well, try another method," he suggested. 

 

"Alright." She got up and walked around, observing. She mentally brought up the nightmares again, this time trying to remember them in full detail. Something in the back of her head was trying to surface. _It's working._ Judy kept bringing up the nightmares, in hopes to coax it out. _Fear. Pain. Screaming. Laughter._ At that, an explosion of images appeared behind her eyes. At the sudden shock of it, she gasped and stumbled backwards, tripping over her feet and falling over. She didn't hear Nick yelling her name as the roar of the memories came flooding in. 

 

 

_A dark, cat-like figure stood before her. Judy tried to get away, but there was nowhere to run, nowhere to hide. The only exit was through a door, which was guarded by a leopard. The other cat, which was a female black panther with a scar down her left eye, laughed as she tried to look for some way to escape._

 

_"There will be no escaping until we have had our fun with you," the panther purred. Judy looked up at her, terrified, as she swooped in and sent Judy flying across the room, slamming against a wall. She let out a cry of pain and tried to scramble away as her tormentor lumbered toward her to beat her. Judy did manage to get away but was stopped as an electric shock shot through her body. She screamed as she stumbled and skidded to a halt. Judy's paws went to her neck and confirmed her thought and fear: they put an electric collar on her._

 

_She struggled to remove it, only ending up to get electrocuted again._

 

_"I told you there will be no escaping until we are done with you," the panther smirked. Judy stared at her, terrified. She was forced to let the panther do what she wanted with her. If Judy didn't do what the panther wanted, she would get electrocuted. Sometimes, she would get electrocuted for the fun of it._

 

_For some nights, she would get dunked in water and left locked in the room with the temperature down low. Most of the night she would shiver and do her best to keep warm. Other nights they would keep her up by blasting loud sounds into the room. Because of her excellent hearing, this was excruciatingly painful to her ears. This method would keep her up all night, causing her to be too exhausted to fight back. Not like she could anyway._

 

_As for feeding and watering her, they would give her small, old carrots and a bit of stale water once a week. It wasn't much, but it was enough to keep her from dying of thirst and hunger. The pang of hunger still came, though. Judy thought it would never end and that they would kill her after they had their 'fun' with her._

 

_However, that did not happen. Instead, they brought in a machine that looked like it came out of a horror movie. She cowered in the corner as the leopard lumbered over to pick her up and strap her in the seat. He took off the collar and pushed two thick rectangular prongs on both sides of her head. Mustering all of her strength, she struggled against the bonds, to no avail. The black panther came into view. She chortled._

 

_"Relax, bunny," she cooed. "It'll all be over soon." That was when Judy found her voice._

 

_"W-what are you going to do to me?" she breathed. The panther only smiled and nodded to the leopard, who, in turn, switched on the machine. Searing pain coursed through Judy's head; she screamed and strained on the straps. Her body wanted to get away from the pain, away from these predators. It didn't take long before she passed out._

 

 

Back in the real world, Judy was trembling, her eyes wide and unblinking, her paws on the sides of her head. She panting heavily. Nick was trying to get her attention, calling her name and shaking her. Judy was visibly shaking, and that was what got Nick nervous. Finally, she blinked and her breathing started slowing down a little. She glances over at Nick, whose face was completely written with worry. They stared at each other until they both calmed down. Judy pulled him in a hug and cried. 

 

"She tortured me, Nick," she sobbed. "She beat me up and put an electric collar on me. She left me in a cold room and let me starve." Sobs racked her body, preventing her from speaking any further. Nick held her close, rubbing her back. 

 

"It's okay, Carrots," he whispered. "You're safe now. No one is going to hurt you." He told this over and over again until she has calmed down enough for her to talk. "Who did this to you?" Judy pulled back and wiped her eyes, sniffling a couple of times. 

 

"She didn't tell me her name," she answered, sniffling a bit more. "But she was a black panther with a scar across her left eye." She looked up at Nick. "There was also a leopard with her. He was guarding the door and assisting a few of the torments." 

 

Nick got up. "We should report this to the chief right now," he announced. Judy nodded. Nick pulled out his intercom and reported in.


	6. Chapter 5

5

 

 

 

Once back at the station, Bogo had a file of the panther Judy described. He handed it to them. 

 

"This is all we have on the panther you described, Officer Hopps," the chief said. Judy took the file and opened it. A drawing of the panther was in it, but there was no first or last name. Only what looked like a dubbed name in place of the unknown real one. 

 

"The Eraser?" Judy questioned; Nick looked over her shoulder in curiosity. 

 

Bogo sighed. "Yes. It was the best name we could give her since we don't know her actual name." He fidgeted. "She has never been arrested. She erases her victim's memories so that she and her hooligan can have a two-week head start." Judy flipped through the file, reading the reports. 

 

"So, she's been doing this for the past several years," Nick mused, "leaving no evidence behind and only mangled victims who have no idea what happened to them." He glanced at Judy. "At least you're not the only one who's suffering." Judy shot him a look. She looked back at the file. She flipped to the next page and gave out a little gasp. Pictures of predators and prey alike were in hospital beds all beaten up. A few were even missing one or both eyes. There was even a photo of her when she was asleep. Judy nearly teared up upon seeing her own beaten up face. 

 

"Now then, Hopps." Judy looked up at her chief. "The press is dying to talk to you about your encounter with the Eraser. I had to hold them off until your injuries were completely healed." She nodded and gave him back the file. "They're all waiting downstairs." She nodded again and left the office, followed closely by Nick. Once she came into view of the press, the reporters swarmed around her, demanding answers. Having gotten used to the press, Judy pointed at a reporter to hear his question.

 

"Officer Hopps, is it true that the Eraser kidnapped and tortured you?" he inquired. Judy gulped. 

 

"Yes, it is true," she responded. This ignited another uproar from the reports. 

 

"Do you have any leads on where to find the Eraser?" one voice piped up over the noise. 

 

"No, we do not have any leads, yet," she answered. A few reporters scribbled down her answer. "However," Judy continued, "we will catch the Eraser and end her reign of terror." 

 

"Do you have a plan of action?" a ewe in front of her asked. 

 

"I do not," Judy admitted, grudgingly, "but my colleagues and I will come up with something." The reporters furiously wrote in their notepads. They all thanked her for her time and left to write their individual stories. Judy sighed. 

 

"I hope I didn't just make a promise that I can't guarantee to keep," she sighed. 

 

"Hey, at least you somewhat satisfied the press," Nick commented. 

 

"Yeah." _Still,_ she thought, _I have no idea how to find the Eraser._


	7. Chapter 6

6

 

 

 

After a week of no leads to finding the Eraser, everyone in Bogo's team was getting frustrated. It didn't last very long though. 

 

"The Eraser has been sighted!!" shouted Officer McHorn. "She's been sighted!" Judy and Nick perked up and went over to McHorn. 

 

"Where??" Judy exclaimed. "Where has she been sighted?"

 

"In Tundra Town," he replied. "Around the shopping centre."

 

"Let's get a move on!" Bogo bellowed. Judy and Nick started to follow along with the rest of the officers, but Bogo stopped them. 

 

"Oh, no. Not you two."

 

"What?!" Nick exclaimed. 

 

"Why?!" Judy blurted. 

 

"Because, Hopps, you are her victim, and she may go after you," he explained. "And, Wilde, I don't want you going out there because I don't want you trying any one-man-shows and trying to catch her yourself. Are we clear?" He looked at both of them. 

 

"Yes, sir," they said in unison. The chief gave them one last look before going after the other officers. Judy glared at the floor while Nick punched a wall. 

 

"Stuck here," he growled. "While they go and have all the fun." Judy turned to him. 

 

"But the chief makes a fair point," she argued. "As long as we stay here, we won't jeopardise the mission."

 

"What, you're okay with just sitting here?!" he shouted. "Carrots, that panther nearly killed you!"

 

"I know," she retorted, "but if I went out there, she would probably finish me off! Do you really want that to happen after a month of having me back?!" Nick pulled back, shocked. He hadn't thought of that. He hadn't thought of that at all.

 

"As Bogo said, you can't go out there because he's afraid you'll try to capture her yourself," Judy added. "What happens if she kills you?"

 

Nick gazed at her. "Better me than you," he muttered. Judy shook her head. 

 

"No, Nick," she replied, "then I'll be the one who will suffer. You know very well that bunnies are emotional. Losing my best friend may lead to me losing myself. Please, Nick. I need you." She stared at him with her big, violet eyes pleadingly. Nick hesitated then sighed. 

 

"Alright," he said. "You win." She smiled then hugged him. 

 

"Thank you." He smiled, too, and hugged her back.

 

"Hey, guys!" Clawhauser came running in with a laptop in hand. "The chase for the Eraser is being filmed live!" He stopped, breathing heavily, and turned the laptop toward them so that they could see. It was true; the ZPD cars were blaring their sirens and lights, chasing after a slender, tan car. The newscaster at the scene was narrating what was happening. 

 

"Chief Bogo and his team are chasing after the infamous Eraser through Tundra Town," she clarified. "Could this be the moment we've all been waiting for? Could they finally capture the criminal who has evaded capture for almost six years?" 

 

Judy quietly rooted for Chief Bogo and the officers. Nick was, too, but was letting the others know by whispering _go, go._ A couple of the cars broke off from the rest and headed down another road. 

 

"They're gonna trap her in!" Judy yelled in glee. Sure enough, within a few minutes, the cars that had broken off were headed toward the tan car. That car then swerved to avoid a head-on collision and turned around, only to swerve again as the rest of the chasing cars surrounded it. The tan car came to a complete stop, as did the police cars. The officers came out of the cars, pointing guns at the automobile, shouting. 

 

A black figure came out of the vehicle with their paws up. The camera zoomed in on the figure as they turned around. Judy took in a breath when she saw the scar down the left eye. It was the Eraser alright. They watched as she was cuffed and muzzled on the roof of her car. Finally caught after all these years. Judy couldn't help smiling. She jumped up and let out a cheer. She grabbed on to Nick, squeezing him into a hug, practically choking him. Nick let out a gagging sound to let her know of that. 

 

She released him and gave him a sheepish smile. "Come on," she gestured. "Let's go greet them." 

 

 

Fifteen minutes later, Bogo came into the station, pushing the Eraser in front of him. Judy and Nick were joined by other officers, who all applauded the capture of the criminal. The panther spotted Judy among the crowd. She grinned. 

 

"Hello, bunny," she said in her silky voice. "Miss me?" Nick pushed Judy behind him, glaring at the predator. She only smirked and allowed Chief Bogo to haul her off to the prison. 

 

"Not on your life," Judy whispered. Once out of sight, the two of them headed back to their designated desks. Later on, Judy took a look in the updated Eraser file. Besides the dubbed name, a new name filled in the blank spaces:

 

 

_Shiera Cardins_

 

"Shiera Cardins," Judy repeated in a soft voice. Certainly sounds like a criminal name. Even in her mug shots, she looked rather menacing. Judy frowned. Something bothered her about Cardins' arrest. It just seemed so…easy. Why, after six years of evading capture, would she suddenly just get caught? And where was the leopard? She set the file on her desk, leaned back in her chair and thought. Catching her looked way too easy. 

 

She got up and went to Nick's desk. "Hey, Nick?"

 

"Yeah, what's up, Carrots?" Nick glanced up from what he was doing. 

 

"Do you have the feeling that the Eraser's capture was just so easy?" she questioned. He frowned. 

 

"No?" he responded. "What do you mean?"

 

"I mean," she leaned against his desk, crossing her arms, "a criminal who has been doing harm and escaping the law for nearly six years suddenly gets cornered by the police. And with ease, too." She sighed. "Not to mention that her leopard partner wasn't arrested with her." Judy looked over at him. "Does that not seem strange?" 

 

"Now that you mentioned it," he mused, "yeah. It does seem strange." 

 

"She doesn't seem like the kind who would just let herself get arrested," Judy continued. She got up off of Nick's desk and started pacing. "She's intelligent. She knows her way around. So why would she…" Judy trailed off. An odd thought occurred to her. She stopped and turned to Nick. 

 

"Unless she _wanted_ to get caught," Judy blurted. 

 

"What?!" Nick exclaimed. "You really think the Eraser wanted to get arrested?"

 

"It's just a theory," she shrugged. "Which we will have to prove." She headed toward Bogo's office. "Let's ask her."

 

"Whoa, whoa." Nick scrambled out of his seat and caught up to her. "What do you mean 'we'?" 

 

"I mean me and you. Unless you're too scared to talk to her." She smirked at him. 

 

"Wh- me? Scared?" He laughed. "Are you not? I mean, this panther is the one who kidnapped you and did goodness-knows-what things to you." 

 

"True," Judy replied, "but I'm not going to let her get to me." She stepped in front of Bogo's office and knocked. A gruff voice signalled them inside. She opened the door and marched inside. Nick, still not sure if this is a good idea, quickly followed her in. 

 

"Sir," she started, "we'd like to talk to Shiera Cardins." Chief Bogo gave her a bewildered look. 

 

"Have you lost your mind, Officer Hopps?" he cried out. "This criminal is the one who nearly killed you!" 

 

"I am fully aware of that, Chief. However, her arrest seems off."

 

"Off? What do you mean?"

 

She sighs. "How is it possible for a criminal who has been evading the law to suddenly be cornered and arrested?" Bogo stared at her, so she continued. "Not to mention that her leopard comrade wasn't with her when she was caught." Bogo frowned. 

 

"What are you saying, Hopps?" he inquired. 

 

"What I'm saying is didn't her capture seem too easy? She has to be up to something." The chief let out a deep hum in thought. 

 

"Alright, I'll bite." He leaned forward. "Why do you think her capture was so easy?"

 

"I- er, we," she gestured to herself and to Nick, "believe that she wanted to get arrested." Bogo stared at her in disbelief. 

 

"Wanted to- why would a criminal _want_ to be arrested??"

 

"We don't know," Judy admitted. "That's why Nick and I want to talk to her."

 

Chief Bogo furrowed his eyebrows, rubbing his chin with his cloven hands. Finally, he said, "Alright. Shiera Cardins' cell number is 803." Judy smiled. 

 

"Thanks, Chief." He muttered something as she and Nick headed to the cell block. 

 

"I'm still not sure if this is a good idea, Carrots," Nick remarked. 

 

"Relax, Nick," Judy replied. "She's behind bars, so she can't get me. I'll be fine, I promise." Nick made an uncertain face. 

 

"I don't know, Judy. Something tells me that, even though she is behind bars, she can still get to you."

 

"You worry too much."

 

"Yeah, and for good measures." She ignored that last comment and headed straight to cell 803. The panther was standing there with her back to them, as though staring out the small window above her head. 

 

"Nice of you to come visit me, little bunny," Shiera said before the two officers could say anything. She turned around to look at Judy. "And I see you brought your fox friend. An odd choice for a bodyguard, don't you think?" She smiled. 

 

"What are you playing at, Shiera?" Judy demanded. "What is your game?" Shiera raised an eyebrow. 

 

"My game?" she repeated. "I don't know what you're talking about." 

 

"I find it quite suspicious for a criminal who has been escaping the law for nearly six years to suddenly be caught by the police in a car chase."

 

"We have our slip-ups, dearie," the panther purred. Judy shook her head. 

 

"No," she said, "I think you wanted to get caught." The bunny officer looked the criminal in the eye, refusing to be intimidated by her. Shiera chuckled. 

 

"You're more clever than you look, bunny," she praised. "Did you figure this out all by yourself, or did your friend help you?" 

 

"What are you planning, Eraser?" Nick piped up, stepping forward. Shiera glances over at him with an amused look. 

 

"That is for me to know," she looks back at Judy, "and for you to find out." 


	8. Chapter 7

7

 

 

 

_That's for me to know and for you to find out._

 

What in the world did she mean by that? Nick frowned at the road in front of him. He and Judy were on patrol duty that day. Judy was pointing a LiDAR speed gun at the passing cars, making sure that they were all going the speed limit. If not, the car gets pulled over, and a ticket is distributed. He sighed and tapped on the steering wheel. 

 

"What's wrong, Nick?" Judy asked. He glanced over at her; her eyes were still staring at the readings but would flick in his direction. 

 

"It's just…" He sighed again. "I can't stop thinking about and wondering what Shiera Cardins is up to." It was Judy's turn to sigh. 

 

"Nick, we visited her over a week ago," she pointed out. "How is it what she said is still bothering you?"

 

"It's not bothering you?"

 

The bunny cop put down the gun and turned to him. "For the last time, she's at a highly secured prison where there has never been an escape."

 

"First time for everything," he stated. 

 

"Could you at least be positive for once?" Judy exclaimed, slightly irritated. 

 

"I am," Nick shot back. "I'm positive that she is up to no good, and that she'll follow through with whatever she's planning." Judy just glared at him and put the speed gun back up at the street. "Look, we both know that she is highly intelligent. Probably smart enough to get out of that prison."

 

"But we don't know for sure that she is planning to break out," Judy responded. "And if she is planning to do just that, how would she do it?" 

 

"Erase her way out the doors?" Nick joked. She laughed and shook her head. Nick, too, laughed. They were silent for a few moments. 

 

"Wanna get something to eat after this?" Judy asked, not wanting to sit in silence again. 

 

"Sure," Nick responded in an enthusiastic tone. "Any place in mind?"

 

"Not really," she said. "You?"

 

"I picked last time." 

 

"What about our regular place?"

 

"Sounds good."

 

_Outside of Tundra Town, a highly secured prison stands in isolation. The inmates of that prison were having their lunch while guards watched from above. Shiera got her food and sat down. She glanced around, as though looking for someone. She looked up at the guards, scanning their faces with her dark green eyes. One guard made eye contact with her. She smiled. In turn, the guard clicked a button hidden in his sleeve._

 

_Elsewhere, a young cheetah sat in the generator room of the prison. A small device in his paw started beeping; he grinned._

 

_"Show time," he muttered. He got up and went over to the generator. He unsheathed his claws and attacked it. He slashed it up, cutting every wire he could see. The power went down as he did so. Guards shouted from outside the room. The cheetah hid until he was sure that the guards were gone, then he slipped out the door._

 

_Back in the mess hall, chaos had erupted. Shiera calmly ate her food while the prisoners were going wild, and the guards trying to contain the prisoners. The guard that Shiera smiled at knocked a guard out, took his M4 and threw it down to the Eraser. She caught it and hit a guard with the stock. She fired a couple of shots into him and headed towards the door. The leopard, having taken off part of his guard disguise, jumped down and followed her. Shiera and he would sometimes shoot whoever would get in their way while continuing on their way._

 

_The cheetah met up with them as they were about to go down into the sewers. Shiera went in first, the leopard second, and the youngster in last. Shiera handed the cheetah the M4._

 

_"Everything is going according to plan," she said. "Make sure no one follows us. If someone does," she nodded at the guns, "you know what to do." They both nodded in understanding. She smiled._

 

_"I'm sure our cop friends will be thrilled to hear what we did."_

 

 

Judy and Nick later finished up their duty and went out to a restaurant they would sometimes go to. They would sit by the window in sight of the television in case they run out of things to talk about. The TV was always on the news channel, so there was always something to discuss. Once they settled down with their food, they just chatted away about whatever came to mind or was shown on TV. It wasn't until five minutes later did the day start going downhill. The volume of the television was turned up; everyone was quiet, listening to the shocking news. 

 

"Breaking news! The once called highly secured prison where there has never been an escape has just experienced a breakout. The prisoner who has broken out is none other than the infamous Shiera Cardins, better known as the Eraser."

 

Judy's and Nick's eyes widened; they looked at each other. So, that was what Shiera meant. Nick, then, gave Judy a look that said 'I told you so.' She gazed back at the television. The Eraser is free. _She might go after me._ Terrified of that thought, Judy quickly gathered up what was left of her food. 

 

"We have to go back to the station," she declared. 

 

"Agreed." Nick, too, picked up the rest of his food. The two cops threw away their food, ran out the door, into the car, and quickly drove in the direction of the station. It didn't take long before they arrived and ran inside to be greeted by Chief Bogo. 

 

"Hey, Shiera Car-"

 

"Yeah, we heard," Nick interrupted. 

 

"What are we going to do, Chief?" questioned Judy. 

 

"For now, we have to sit tight. The guards at the prison are currently searching the perimeter for her."

 

"They won't find her," Nick argued. "She's too smart for them." 

 

"Maybe so," Bogo responded, "but we have to have faith that they will find her and lock her back up."

 

"Are they searching the sewers, too?" Judy asked, remembering how she and Nick escaped the science lab on her first case. 

 

"The sewers, the perimeter, everywhere," Bogo answered. "They are doing the best they can." 

 

" _It won't be enough,"_ Nick insisted. All three of them knew this. It wouldn't be enough. The televisions set around the station suddenly started going static. It took a while before it cleared up and showed a dark background with Shiera in the middle of it. A chill went up Judy's spine; she shivered. 

 

"Citizens of Zootopia," she announced, "as you all may know, I, the infamous Eraser, have escaped from an impregnable prison. I accomplished this to let you all know that nothing can stop me from reigning terror not only in this city but throughout the world. This world will fear me for what I am capable of.This world will have no other choice but to bow down before me. I will be queen of the underworld!"

 

She paused, then smiled. 

 

"Officer Judy Hopps." Judy's heart stopped. "I speak directly to you now. If you or any of your comrades ever try to stop me, you know full well what I will do to you and them. And perhaps I'll do worse. Ta-ta, little bunny. I look forward to our next meeting." Her image blinked out and back to static. Judy could only stand there in numbing fear. Nick shook her. 

 

"Carrots," he called. "Hey, Carrots, snap out of it. Judy!" Judy's violet eyes snapped toward his green ones. Despite the fact that Nick was scared, too, he spoke with confidence. "Hey, don't worry. We'll get her again. We're law enforcers. We never let criminals like Shiera Cardins rule the world we live in. We make sure that everyone lives without having to look over their shoulders every second. We can catch her again, do you understand?" 

 

Judy silently nodded, feeling a little better. 

 

Officer McHorn came running in towards them. "Sir! We tracked Cardins' location!"

 

"Where is she?" Judy demanded. 

 

"Rainforest district, five miles west of Tujunga near a sky lift dock." With that, Judy ran out of the station. 

 

"Officer Hopps, wait!" Bogo called after her, but she ignored him. Nick ran after her. "Officer Wilde, you come back here this instant!" Nick, also, ignored him. The two officers jumped into a police car and sped off to the Rainforest District. Nick opened the glove compartment and pulled out a couple of stun guns. 

 

"Here," he handed one to Judy. She glanced at it then back at the road. Uncertainty fell upon her face. 

 

"I'm not so sure," she started. 

 

"Come on, Carrots, how else do you think we're gonna capture the queen of the underworld?" Judy hesitated; with a sigh, she took the gun from him and clipped it to her belt. 

 

The sun was setting when they arrived at Rainforest District. It took ten more minutes before they pulled in to where McHorn said the video was traced. On the left was the sky lift dock; farther up was a large shed. The two quietly got out of the car, their guns at the ready, and crept around to the shed entrance. 

 

"I figured you'd come looking for me, little bunny." Judy jumped and spun around, aiming her stun gun at Shiera. "I didn't think you'd do it so quickly." 

 

"Where's your leopard friend?" Nick inquired. She smirked. 

 

"He's around here somewhere," she responded. There was shuffling behind Nick and Judy; they both heard it. Nick was the first to react. He spun around and fired his gun. The shot hit the leopard square in the chest, causing him to fall over. Nick removed that shot, reloaded, and pointed it back at Shiera, who was no longer there. Judy spotted her running towards the sky lift dock. 

 

"Hey!" she shouted, starting to chase after her. There was a loud _yowl_ from above her. She looked up in time to see a cheetah pounce at her. She didn't have enough time to react as he landed on top of her, snapping his jaws at her. She held him back with her feet as best she could before hitting him in the muzzle with her gun. He yelped and jumped off of her. Judy scrambled to her feet, fired her stun gun at him, then reloaded. 

 

She spun around to fire at Shiera but stopped dead. Shiera was there, alright, along with Nick being dangled over the edge by his neck. His gun was nowhere in sight. 

 

"Drop your weapon, bunny!" the panther demanded. "Or I drop your fox friend." Judy didn't move. She looked at Nick, who was struggling at her grip, at Shiera, then back at Nick. Judy kept her gun trained on the Eraser, refusing to give up. 

 

"Don't drop it, Carrots!" Nick shouted. "Forget me, shoot he-agh!" Shiera had squeezed his throat, cutting him off. 

 

"What's it gonna be, Judy?" Shiera asked. "Me, or your partner?" Judy glanced between the two of them. She squeezed her eyes shut; tears rolled down her cheeks. 

 

"You will no longer harm anyone ever again!" Judy screamed. 

 

And she fired. 


	9. Chapter 8

 

8

 

 

 

Everything happened in slow motion. Shiera getting hit, Nick falling from her grasp, Judy lunging forward. 

 

The stun had hit the panther in the chest, causing her to tumble backwards off the dock. 

 

Judy had dropped the gun and was running to Nick. 

 

Nick's mind was racing and blank with the fear of falling to his death. His first instinct was to grab for something to prevent this, but all his paws were finding was air. Then, something grabbed his paw, and he found himself dangling once more. Whatever grabbed him was grunting and talking. 

 

"Don't worry, Nick, I've got you." 

 

Judy. 

 

His mind cleared up when that name was mentioned. His eyes focused on her violet eyes and grey, fluffy face. She was looking at him but then was looking past him. He looked down and saw the panther with her mouth open, green eyes wide with terror, and her arms and legs thrashing about in the air. She was growing smaller and smaller, and her screams growing fainter and fainter. Then, at the same time, both panther and screams disappeared. 

 

Nick and Judy stared at the spot where Shiera Cardins was last seen, both too shocked to speak. Slowly, Nick realised that he was still hanging over the edge. 

 

"Pull me up," he demanded. "Pull me up!" Many grunts and pulls later, the two were sitting on the dock, panting, too out of breath to speak. They sat there in silence, letting their brains process what just happened. 

 

"Is she..." Judy started. "Did she just..." She didn't want to say it, but Nick knew what she meant. 

 

"Probably," he responded. "I don't think any cat could survive a fall this high." She nodded and laid on her back as sirens drew closer from the distance. 

 

The police arrived a few minutes later along with the paramedics. The cheetah and leopard were arrested, and Nick and Judy were given blankets for the shock. It was only a mild shock, nothing too serious. A search party was organised to look for Shiera's body. Nick took hold of Judy's paw, refusing to let go. She didn't mind. 

 

Chief Bogo walked up to them. "Good work, you two," he said, "even though you acted on your own and didn't wait for orders." Judy stared at her feet. "But you did stop a mass criminal and her hooligans." He paused. "So, how does detective sound to you two?"

 

Judy looked up at Bogo, glanced at Nick, then back at the chief. A promotion? She couldn't believe it. 

 

"A promotion?" Nick said in disbelief. "You're kidding, right?"

 

"No, I am not," Bogo replied. "Since you both did a great job stopping an infamous criminal, I feel that it is time to bump you up a rank." Judy grinned, her chest filling with joy and excitement. 

 

"Thank you, sir," she breathed. "Thank you so much."

 

 

Shiera's body was never found nor was she heard from again. This didn't stop the promotion, though. Nick and Judy eagerly and nervously waited for the ceremony to begin. It had taken a few weeks of planning and sending invitations to family and friends. Judy's family took up a whole section of chairs. Not surprising. 

 

The adjutant watched as everyone filed in and took their seats before going up to the podium and calling everyone to attention. Everybody stood as the Senior Officer and the dignitaries walked in. The Officer approached the podium. 

 

"Please, be seated." Everyone sat down. The clicking of cameras enacted as he started to welcome everyone to the ceremony. Judy fidgeted with excitement. She nearly knocked over her chair as she and her parents were called up to the stage. She stood at attention as the Senior Officer commended her for her hard work and excellent service. The adjutant then read the promotion orders as he handed the Senior Officer and her parents the detective shoulder boards. 

 

Those shoulder boards replaced her officer boards. The Senior Officer and Judy then shook hands. 

 

"Congratulations, Detective Hopps," the Senior Officer said. She smiled. 

 

"Thank you, sir," she replied. He turned around, and everyone clapped. Judy and her parents exited the stage, and Nick went up and also got his shoulder boards. 

 

 

"I still can't believe we've been promoted," Judy said for the hundredth time after they've been directed to the refreshments. 

 

"I know you can't," Nick responded for the hundredth time. He didn't admit it, but Nick was also having a hard time believing that he is no longer an officer. They had gotten away from Bonnie, who was always wanting to get pictures of them, saying how proud she was. 

 

They fell silent for a while, sipping their drinks and looking on at the animals chatting. Judy frowned. 

 

"Is there a possibility that Shiera survived that fall?" Judy thought out loud. 

 

"What?" Nick said, astounded. "You're still thinking about that?" 

 

"Yes," she responded. "It's been bothering since the search party reported not finding her body. It's just…is there a possibility that she's still out there?" Judy glanced up at Nick, who was staring at her with a slight look of shock. He shrugged. 

 

"Dunno. Let's hope we don't find out."


End file.
